LOS ANGELES—Darrius Jones, a mixed boxing fetish creator and the founder/owner of pro-am studio Hit the Mat (HTM), died last weekend of undetermined causes, acquaintances report.
Jason Ninja, a friend and fellow creator, announced Jones's passing on his X account on May 3. Ninja posted, "Very sad news to hear that [Jones] is no longer with us. An O.G. and pioneer in his area of our industry, and a super nice bloke.
"He will be greatly missed," Ninja added. "RIP Darrius."
AVN confirmed Jones' passing with HTM's webmaster and social media manager, Felicia Braddock. Braddock, also a performer, told AVN that she is "absolutely shocked, heartbroken and crushed." She additionally posted on her X account that it was "incredibly difficult to process that [Jones] is no longer with us."
She went on to write, "For the better part of 17 years, we worked together behind the scenes. And now, he's gone. I hope you can see the lives you've touched and the impact you've had, D. How much you are loved and already missed. I'm sorry I didn't tell you how much I appreciated you more often. Godspeed."
Braddock added that Jones' family requests privacy as they process this news. But she did share that the family launched a GoFundMe to help pay memorial expenses.
The GoFundMe page for Jones' final expenses can be found here.
Photo from GoFundMe.com
